


enough

by moonlikeyou



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love at First Sight, M/M, Side ShowHyuk, hints of yugbam?, side markson, unnecessary monsta x cameos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-04 21:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11563476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlikeyou/pseuds/moonlikeyou
Summary: Im Jaebum falls in love with the beautiful man who spilt coffee on him outside the library, and he just can't seem to get enough of him.University! AU with got7





	enough

Jaebum yawned while waiting for his friend Jackson to leave the library building. Jackson had been in there for what seemed like centuries, and while athletic jock Jackson wasn’t exactly the kind of person you would associate with libraries, Jaebum was allergic to them. He could practically feel the seams on his leather jacket screaming _Let’s leave!_ , and he couldn’t wait to go somewhere less stuffy and bookish, like his apartment or his studio in the music department.

 

Jaebum didn’t even know why Jackson was at the library. It was the first day of the school year, for fuck’s sake. In fact, as far as he was concerned, Jackson didn’t even know how to read.

 

Tapping quickly on his phone, he sent another message to Jackson _where are you??????? dying rn_ , which was left unread along with the other 14 messages he had sent in the past hour.

 

 _Ping!_ A text notification went off on Jaebum’s phone and Jaebum clicked on it eagerly.

 

However, the text wasn’t from Jackson but from Yugyeom, the maknae from his friend group. Yugyeom was annoying, but he was fun to hang with and also a good kid sometimes, which was why Jaebum kept him around.

 

(Sometimes Jaebum felt that it was the other way around and it was the giant maknae who kept him around, but he would never admit that to anyone.)

 

 _Hey hyung!_ Jaebum read the message, which seemed suspiciously cheerful.

 

_I’ve set you up on a blind date with this guy he’s really nice and cool and I’m 200000% sure that he’ll be your type so if you could just give him a chance-_

 

Jaebum typed an angry message into his phone, ready to give Yugyeom a piece of his mind. Yugyeom was like an annoying younger brother to him, but a blind date? This was crossing the line.

 

Suddenly, someone coming out from the library crashed into Jaebum, and Jaebum blinked in incredulity as he felt lukewarm coffee dribble onto his brand new jeans.

 

“What-” Jaebum’s mind was wiped blank as he lifted his head and got a good look at the person who had the nerve to spill coffee on him.

 

It wasn't a person.

 

It was an angel. Jaebum’s mind was sent into overdrive as he saw a beautiful man in front of him, with raven black hair and features so delicate they had to be sculpted by God himself. His eyes were a deep shade of hazel, almond-shaped, and just so _goddamned_ pretty. His lips looked so pink and soft, Jaebum thought that they would probably taste like strawberries.  Dressed in a pastel pink sweater and white slacks, he was so cute that Jaebum wanted to cry.

 

Said angel looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack. With the softest voice Jaebum had ever heard -Oh God, Jaebum was _whipped_ -, he asked, ”Are you okay? I’m so sorry about that, I’ll pay to dry clean your jeans, how much will that be?”

 

Jaebum blinked.  The angel was offering to pay to clean his jeans? To be honest, he would probably leave the jeans unwashed forever to commemorate the day he encountered the most beautiful man in the whole universe. “Oh no, I can take care of it myself.” Jaebum replied hurriedly. Trying to make himself seem more Friendly&Approachable™, he grinned, which he did not do very often.

 

The angel visibly blanched at the sight of his grin which had probably came out as creepy instead of friendly. .

 

Jaebum regretted all of his life decisions. Cringing at himself, he said, ”Well, see you around then.” As soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth, Jaebum wanted to scream. What kind of creep said that? To make matters worse, it was the first day of term. The other man could be a new student, and he was probably going to drop out after meeting him. Great.

 

To Jaebum’s surprise, the angel gave him a small smile, ”Sure.” Jaebum could barely regain his composure before the angel waved at him with the most adorable sweater paws and made his way towards the campus train exit.

 

Left alone, Jaebum clawed his hands through his already disheveled hair. How could anyone be so handsome and cute? Jaebum was _this_ close to a heart attack when the other man smiled and his eyes became all crinkly and it was just… stunning beyond comprehension.

 

Jaebum knew he was gay, but not _that_ gay?

 

At this moment, Jackson came out of the library, bouncing on the balls of his feet with ceaseless energy, ”Let’s go, hyung! Sorry it took so long, I was talking to someone.”

 

Normally, Jaebum would nag at Jackson for not coming out sooner, but his thoughts were far too occupied by a certain pastel angel.

 

Wow, he was whipped.

 

\-----

 

The first few days of term passed by in a blur. Jaebum adapted to his new schedule perfectly, despite the abundance of 9AM classes. He took up a new psychology course on a whim, much to the disappointment of his friend Bambam.

 

“Hyung, I thought you were going to take calculus with me this year,” Bambam whined while they walked to the library together to meet up with Jackson. Jackson had been steadily frequenting the library, much to the surprise of their friend group, and Jaebum never missed out a chance to accompany his friend, hoping to catch another glimpse of the beautiful man who spilt coffee on him. However, he didn’t have much luck with that, yet he found himself thinking about the other man more and more.

 

 _Stop it, Jaebum!_ He chided himself. _Stop mooning over a literal stranger who probably forgot about you already._

 

“Yeah, sorry. Maybe next sem I guess.” Jaebum found himself replying absent-mindedly, squinting at the thick library glass doors . He could just make out the outline of Jackson’s body, and behind him, a slender man with the softest-looking black hair-

 

_Oh shit._

 

The raven-haired angel who Jaebum had seeked so desperately was right next to Jackson.

 

Jaebum gnawed on his lower lip anxiously as he stared at the duo. _Should he go up to him and introduce himself? Nah, that would be creepy. But what if-_

 

Jaebum’s thoughts were cut off abruptly as his other friend, Youngjae, ran over to him and Bambam, screaming excitedly, ”Guess who got into Vocals 101!”

 

Bambam screamed back at Youngjae with the same enthusiasm as Jaebum ruffled Youngjae’s hair affectionately, a wide grin etched across his face. Jaebum had always harboured a soft spot for his favourite dongsaeng, and he couldn’t help being embarrassingly proud of him for getting into the university’s most prestigious music-related course.

 

“Hey, I’m done. Let’s go find Gyeom at the canteen!” At long last, Jackson strode out of the library. Jaebum suddenly remembered his angel -that’s right, _his_ angel. Jaebum was too attached already.- was inside the library, but when he looked again, there was no sign of him.

 

 _Dammit._ Jaebum cursed to himself. He had one chance to talk to that man, and he had blew it completely.

 

Mood deflated, Jaebum trailed behind his friends who were chirping happily together while they made their way to the campus canteen, mind once again invaded by that gorgeous man.

 

Jaebum was, without a question, what the kids called - _whipped_.

 

“Gyeom!” The kids crowed excitedly as they sat down at their usual table where Yugyeom was waiting. Jaebum took a seat sullenly, still kind of mad at Yugyeom for setting him up for a blind date without his knowledge. That kid seriously needed to learn how to respect his seniors.

 

Jaebum’s gaze wandered aimlessly around the dining hall, eventually landing on a familiar silhouette.  

 

What.

 

The gorgeous coffee-spilling man was dressed dashingly in a navy blazer and white pants, and to top it off, he wore a pair of thick-rimmed glasses that made Jaebum’s breath hitch. He was chatting with another guy -who was quite attractive too, but he only had his eyes on the coffee-spilling guy- and his smile was so bright it practically lit up the whole cafeteria.  Jaebum thought the man couldn’t get more handsome than he did when they first met, but apparently he was wrong.

 

Jaebum suddenly felt underdressed in his worn-out leather jacket and ripped jeans.

 

Jaebum stared at the man shamelessly as Navy Suit Man and his friend made their way to the canteen’s entrance. Jaebum was aware that his staring might’ve seemed a bit creepy, but he didn’t care. His heart was going through so many heart attacks from seeing a man of such divine beauty, he was probably going to die soon anyway.

 

When the man and his friend reached the entrance, he suddenly turned around and looked straight at Jaebum. Jaebum felt his heart leap into his throat. _He’s looking at me he’s looking at me he’s lookingatmeohmygoshwhatdoIdo_

 

As if Jaebum was dreaming, the beautiful man looked right at Jaebum and smiled, his eyes crinkling into the cutest crescent moons, which sent electric shocks through Jaebum’s body. Jaebum smiled back awkwardly, trying to control his wildly thumping heart.

 

Jaebum gripped his fists tightly, trying not to squeal like a teenage girl as Angel Man and his friend left. He felt downright _blessed_ by the good-looking man’s presence and he could feel his heart beating erratically. To top that of, he could even feel a dumb grin spread uncontrollably on his face.

 

Jaebum felt a bit stupid, but he didn’t care.

 

“Hyung, hyung.” In his daze, Jaebum vaguely heard Yugyeom calling him from the other side of the table. “What,” He snapped back, slightly irritated, bracing for the maknae’s ruthless teasing.

 

Im Jaebum was a fool for love. Amazing.

 

“That’s the guy I set you up with next Thursday. Told you he’ll be your type!” Yugyeom laughed, winking suggestively.

 

For the first time and probably the last time in his life, Jaebum was seized by the urge to hug Yugyeom tightly and never let go.

 

Trying to keep a straight face, Jaebum replied as nonchalantly as he could, ”Really? You did that?”

 

Yugyeom grinned like the cat who got the cream,”Yep.”

 

Jaebum paused, pretending to think, ”I’ll be there, I guess.”

 

Yugyeom only grinned harder. Brat.

 

The others laughed at Jaebum’s facial expression at Yugyeom’s cockiness, but all Jaebum could think of was that unfairly pretty smile that made him weak in the knees.

 

Jaebum was probably going to treat Yugyeom to a lifetime supply of Jil’hal after this, he thought with a content smile on his face, already looking forward to next thursday.

 

\-----

 

Time seemed to fly after Jaebum’s second run-in with the man from the library, and in the blink of an eye, it was already Thursday. After class, Jaebum headed home quickly, wanting to make a good impression for his date. Once he got home, he frowned at his collection of leather jackets, band t-shirts and skinny jeans in his closet.

 

 _These won’t do,_ Jaebum thinks to himself. After all, he was going on a date with someone who dressed like he was going to work at uni.  Diving deep into the depths of his closet, Jaebum pulled out a two-piece suit that he bought for a vocal audition two years ago. The suit was nothing special, but it was hopefully formal enough for his date’s taste.

 

Trying the suit on, Jaebum discovered that the suit was a tight fit, so that the suit jacket was stretched snugly across his shoulders. Squinting at his reflection in the mirror, Jaebum wondered whether he looked good enough for a date with the most handsome man on the planet. He thought he looked fine, but he wasn’t used to dressing up so formally, so he didn’t know whether he was doing this formal dress thing right.

 

Jaebum decided to ask his friends for some feedback and advice. Going through his mental list of friends, he ruled out Yugyeom instantly. True, Yugyeom was the one who scored him this date, but the boy was too evil for his own good. He would probably use this to blackmail him in the future or convince him to wear something entirely inappropriate, like that leopard-print suit Bambam bought on a whim.

 

Shuddering from the horrible vision from the suit, Jaebum goes down his list of friends. Youngjae was well-mannered and least likely to tease him about being nervous to go on a date, but he was just… too nice. Jaebum could be wearing Bambam’s leopard-print suit and Youngjae would still tell him he looked great. Not Youngjae.

 

Jackson… Jackson dressed well, but he mainly experimented in hipster fashion, which Jaebum didn’t quite understand. Jackson never wore suits or anything remotely formal, so he was a no, too.

 

That only left Bambam in his regrettably short list of friends.

 

Bambam was a fashionista, alright, and he dressed well apart from the times he was being a so-called “meme”-a concept which Jaebum didn’t understand- and messing around. Plus, he would possibly give some mildly constructive advice.

 

Jaebum sent Bambam a quick selfie, asking for his opinion. Bambam replied quickly _“Hyung you look fire i am gay now”_ with a bunch of thumbs up emojis. Taking that as a stamp of approval, Jaebum gave his reflection one final look.

 

 _You can do this, Im Jaebum_ , he said to himself silently.

 

Leaving his apartment an hour early, Jaebum took a taxi to the restaurant where Yugyeom told him to meet his date. The restaurant seemed quite fancy from the outside, and

Jaebum felt less overdressed in his stiff suit. Next to the restaurant was a tiny flower shop, and Jaebum headed inside, wanting to go the extra mile for his date.

 

 _Date_. Jaebum still felt his heart beat faster when he thought of the beautiful man who spilt his coffee on him, and honestly, he still had trouble believing that he was on a date with him.

 

The cheery employee in the flower shop, who introduced himself as Minhyuk, helped Jaebum select a small bundle of daisies, and Jaebum fidgeted the bundle nervously before walking into the restaurant. Was this too much?

 

 _Nonsense. Nothing was too much for an actual angel._ Jaebum thought to himself, and forced himself to march into the restaurant before he chickened out.

 

Jaebum headed towards table 68, where Yugyeom had booked for him and his date. _Too bad I couldn’t book the next table, hyung!_ Yugyeom’s gleeful voice rang in his head as Jaebum tried to fight the wide grin spreading across his face. From a distance, he could already see a slender figure dressed in pastel pink, hunched over his phone.

 

Jaebum felt ditzy from excitement as he approached the table. He could finally talk to the subject of his embarrassingly sappy daydreams. It was like one of his teenage-girl fantasies had came true.

 

The hunched figure sitting at the table raised his head and looked at Jaebum when he sat down, and Jaebum felt his stomach lurch in disappointment as he saw that he date was not the gorgeous man, but his friend at the cafeteria.

 

“Hi,” Angel Man’s friend smiled at him kindly. “I’m mark.”

 

Jaebum introduced himself briefly, disappointed that he had misunderstood Yugyeom and he was going on a date with Mark, and not his friend. _But_ , Jaebum reminded himself, _it wasn’t Mark’s fault that he misunderstood the situation and it would just be plain rude if he sulked throughout the date._

 

With that thought in mind, Jaebum gave Mark the flowers a bit sheepishly, and Mark seemed surprised but glad. They ordered some food, which came quickly and their date went on smoothly after that. Jaebum learnt that Mark came from Los Angeles, was majoring in linguistics and was a librarian at the university’s library. He also found out that he was in the basketball team with Yugyeom, which was why he could set them up for this date.

 

Jaebum told Mark about majoring in music and what he wanted to do after graduating. Mark was quite a good listener, and although Jaebum didn’t feel any romantic sparks flying between them, he genuinely enjoyed Mark’s company. Mark was quick-witted but also significantly quieter than his loud friends, a fact Jaebum appreciated greatly.

 

As if reading Jaebum’s mind, Mark leaned forward and told Jaebum that he didn’t feel any romantic attraction towards him, but would love to be friends with him and hang out together sometimes. Jaebum readily agreed to Mark’s offer of friendship, and they exchanged phones so they could save each other as contacts.

 

With Mark’s phone in hand, Jaebum began to key in his contact details, “Mark, when were you born? I can’t tell if you’re a hyung or dongsaeng.” Jaebum accidentally exited the contacts page and went back to the home screen page. Jaebum felt his face turn red rapidly as he saw that Mark’s phone wallpaper was a selca of him and his gorgeous friend whom Jaebum had been mooning over for weeks.

 

“I was born in 1993.” Mark replied idly as he typed in his contact details into Jaebum’s phone. “Oh, so you’re a hyung then” Jaebum said absent-mindedly, unable to take his eyes off Mark’s wallpaper. Mark’s friend, the angel man was smiling brightly, which made him look like a million dollars. Jaebum knew that he should click back to the contacts page, but his fingers seemed to be frozen and all he could do was stare at Mark’s friend’s face like the lovesick fool he was.

 

Mark noticed Jaebum’s hesitance and leaned over to see what Jaebum was staring at,” Oh, that’s my friend Jinyoung.” Jaebum hastily typed in his contact details and returned Mark’s phone to him, embarrassed from being caught staring.

 

 _Jinyoung._ Jaebum thought to himself. So that’s what the beautiful man was called. A beautiful name for a beautiful man.

 

“Anyway, see you around!” Jaebum bid Mark goodbye at the restaurant entrance, still flustered. Mark didn’t seem to mind his blatant snooping and waved at him cheerily, leaving Jaebum behind to suffer while thinking of Jinyoung.

 

And if Jaebum knew better, he would’ve seen the knowing glint in Mark’s eyes.

 

\----

 

After his date with Mark, Jaebum found himself thinking about Jinyoung frequently. However, he didn’t see Mark or his gorgeous friend anywhere in the university’s campus.

 

“Hyung, you seem a bit out of it.” Youngjae noted during one of their regular group lunches “Are you feeling okay?”

 

Jaebum had only shrugged, not wanting to worry Youngjae. But actually, he was stuck on the lyrics of his next song, and as a result he hadn’t been getting much sleep. His grades in his side psychology course were suffering too, since he didn’t have the energy to pay attention to the class ,and as a result- his work was disastrous.

 

In the present, Jaebum was struggling. He had only gotten three hours of sleep, and with a tall espresso in hand, he was running to the other side of the campus to get to psychology 101 on time. He might’ve been slacking off majorly in that class, but he had to attain minimum attendance to pass.

 

Jaebum was half-dead by the time he slid into the classroom, barely on time. He could hardly see the senile professor eyeing him as he dumped his stuff on the nearest desk, eyes shutting almost instantly. If he was lucky, he could probably sneak in a few minutes of sleep before class started.

 

“Im Jaebum?” Jaebum woke with a sharp jolt just when his name was being called. He quickly raised his hand and the professor glared at him sharply as he ticked Jaebum’s name on the attendance record.

 

Jaebum tried his best to rub the sleep from his eyes, taking in his surroundings. He was sitting in the front row, and he was probably sitting next to some nerd who actually cared about this fucking class. Time to die.

 

“Park Jinyoung, Son Hyunwoo, Shin Hoseok.” The professor kept calling out names, which Jaebum could not care less about. He was too tired for this.

 

Wait. Park _Jinyoung_?

 

“Hey, are you okay?” A voice, smooth as chocolate, next to him asked him. Jaebum turned to his left slowly, only to come face to face with Mark’s friend Jinyoung.

 

Jaebum felt a deep red blush rising on his cheeks as he struggled to regain his composure. He hadn’t even combed his hair when he headed out this morning, godammit.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Jaebum replied as nonchalantly as he could, flustered because Jinyoung looked _so good_ as always. Jinyoung was wearing those ridiculously oversized glasses again, which made him look really cute and was not helping Jaebum’s increasing heart rate.

 

Then Jinyoung smiled, and Jaebum briefly considered ditching class. Sitting next to cute Jinyoung was bad for his whipped, gay self.

 

“No problem.” Jinyoung said, and Jaebum felt his ears turning red too. Why was he such a pathetic mess in front of Park Jinyoung?

 

The professor was finally done calling out names and called for attention,”We will now work in groups of two for a project. Please get into pairs.”

 

Jaebum panicked at the mention of partners. He had been slacking off too much in this class to be acquainted with anyone, and if he couldn’t nail this project, he would probably fail this class completely. Oh well. Jaebum looked around the classroom. He vaguely recognized a guy called… Hyunwoo? He was Yugyeom’s friend, maybe they could work together.

 

Someone tapped Jaebum on the shoulder. Jaebum turned around, only to find Park Jinyoung smiling at him, ”Do you want to work together?”

 

 _Wow, wait, what?_ Thankfully, before Jaebum lost his mind, he stuttered a breathless “yes”.

 

Park Jinyoung, an actual angel, grinned at Jaebum as he pulled his chair closer to talk about their project, and Jaebum thanked his lucky stars for letting him get to class. They talked about ideas that ranged from testing out the Stroop Effect to experimenting on their friends, and Jaebum felt his shoulders lighten in relief as he found out Park Jinyoung was not just insanely good-looking, but also smart and fun to talk to.

 

By the end of the lesson, they had exchanged phone numbers and decided to meet up sometime to talk about their project. Jinyoung smiled that heart-stopping smile at him again, and Jaebum found himself falling in love a little.

 

Later at lunch with his friends, Jaebum typed up the lyrics which he had been antagonizing about for days in a breeze, and Bambam looked at him as if he has been possessed.

 

“Someone abducted our Jaebum-hyung, arrest the imposter now!” Bambam yells dramatically, and Jaebum can’t even bring himself to glare at his friend. He was already looking forward to the next psychology class.

 

\----

 

_Look at me for a sec, don’t be too awkward_

_Don’t worry, your heart wants me so be honest_

_You knew since you saw me first_

_I hope that you become sure of yourself, that’s all_

 

\----

 

Spending time with Jinyoung did much good for Jaebum. Not only did he get over his songwriter’s block, he also felt himself smiling more, which strengthened Bambam’s belief that he had been imposed by an alien. Nevertheless, his friends seemed supportive of his budding friendship(?) with Jinyoung, especially Jackson, who had tearfully exclaimed that Jaebum had finally broken his dry spell. Jaebum objected to this strongly -he never had a dry spell!- but he secretly appreciated his friends’ support.

 

Jaebum enjoyed spending time with jinyoung immensely. Jinyoung shared many of his own interests, and he always knew what to say. There was never a dull moment with Jinyoung, and because of him, Jaebum actually looked forward to the tedious classes.

 

Jinyoung had also slipped into the habit of bringing Jaebum a coffee during their morning classes, and Jaebum couldn’t be more grateful. He had tried to pay Jinyoung back, but every time, Jinyoung just laughed and told him to pay more attention in class for him.

 

_For him._

 

It wasn’t like Jaebum hadn’t thought about the possibility of liking - _hell, even falling in love with_ \- Jinyoung, it just seemed too unachievable. Park Jinyoung was a campus prince, who was blessed with a handsome face and dressed like he had just walked out of a fashion magazine. He was friendly with everyone he encountered, and to top it all of he had a 4.0 GPA. Jaebum, on the other hand, lived in worn out leather jackets and skinny jeans, had approximately 6 friends, and struggled with handing in assignments on time. If Jinyoung was a prince, Jaebum would probably be a gangster or a street rat. Their friendship was probably more than enough for Jaebum.

 

“Hyung!” Jinyoung tapped Jaebum on the shoulder when their psychology class ended. “Are you free now? We could go to the library to talk about the experiment we’re doing for the project.” Jinyoung asked Jaebum with his signature eye smile, and Jaebum fumbled for a response. _How could I ever say no to you?_ he wanted to say, but instead settled for an “uh, sure” as they headed towards the library.

 

Jinyoung took Jaebum to one of the window seats where bright sunlight poured in, illuminating Jinyoung’s gorgeous features and making him look like a Greek god. Jaebum coughed awkwardly as his eyes wandered aimlessly, looking for something else than Park Jinyoung to look at. His gaze landed on Jackson, who was unsurprisingly at the library again, chatting to Jinyoung’s handsome friend mark.

 

_Wait. Jackson knew Mark?_

 

A lightbulb goes on in Jaebum’s head as he belatedly realised why Jackson had taken so many trips to the library. Following Jaebum’s gaze, Jinyoung stared at the couple with a fond expression on his face until Jackson turned around and glared at the gawking duo.

 

Jaebum jumped a little from Jackson’s intense gaze while Jinyoung turned back to Jaebum and laughed, his tinkling laugh sending shivers down Jaebum’s spine. “Let’s get started, shall we?” Jinyoung smiles at him, and Jaebum had never felt so motivated in his entire life.

 

They decided on creating an experiment which would test one’s immediate response towards an object’s name being called, to see if they would reach out towards it as a reflex action. After Jinyoung and Jaebum decided on the topic of their project, they worked on drafting the thesis and preparing their first presentation. They worked together in comfortable silence, Jaebum flipping through thick reference books while Jinyoung tapped away on his laptop, his typing a steady rhythm that made Jaebum feel at ease.

 

For a second, Jaebum wishes that they could stay like this forever.

 

Time goes by quickly when Jaebum’s with Jinyoung, but Jaebum doesn’t mind much. After all, they’ve got lots of time to spend together, right?

 

\----

 

Three months into the school year, Jaebum settles into a steady routine eventually. He wakes up early for his psychology course, and Jinyoung will be there in the first row waiting for him. He pays significantly more attention to class thanks to Jinyoung’s presence (and occasional cup of coffee), and they start to hang out more and more outside class too. Jinyoung and Jaebum make good progress on their project, gaining approval from their professor which makes Jinyoung smile brightly and Jaebum’s heart skip a beat at Jinyoung’s brilliant smile.

 

Jaebum has lunch with his friends and spends most of his afternoons at the music department, either in class or working on new tracks. His schedule is fully packed, which leaves almost no time for Jaebum to think of his embarrassingly huge crush on Jinyoung. Jaebum liked Jinyoung a lot as a friend, and he would not let his stupid gay emotions get in the way of their friendship.

Nope. Definitely not.

 

Sadly, all that changes when Jaebum runs into Jinyoung outside the music department.

 

Jaebum was heading out of the music building, humming absent-mindedly as he made his way to where his motorcycle was parked. It had been a long day, and he still had to pick up some cat food for his cat Nora before he could head home. Nora hadn’t been eating well lately, and Jaebum was concerned. What if his baby was upset, or worse, sick?

 

Jaebum walked faster, eager to return home. However, all thoughts about his precious Nora were dismissed when he saw Jinyoung standing outside, looking frazzled.

 

“Hyung.” Jinyoung greeted Jaebum as he approached him. Jinyoung looked tired and worried, unlike his usual composed demeanor. Jaebum tried not to stare too much at Jinyoung’s wind-blown hair, which he looked stunning with. Unbelievable.

 

Jaebum coughed awkwardly, trying to contain his thirsty inner self ,”You look frazzled, Jinyoung. Are you okay?” Jinyoung sighed, running a hand through his hair, “Mark hyung was supposed to give me a lift for my tutoring session with this kid, but my phone’s battery is dead and I can’t find him anywhere. Hyung, can I borrow your phone?”

 

Jaebum handed over his phone to Jinyoung, who was mercifully too preoccupied to comment on his Nora lockscreen. Jinyoung keyed in Mark’s phone number hurriedly and called Mark, his facial expression so frantic it made Jaebum’s heart clench.

 

(At that moment, Jaebum would willingly set his priced Bart Simpson collection on fire just to wipe that helpless, blank stare off Jinyoung’s face.)

 

“Hyung! Where are you?” “But hyung, my lesson’s in half an hour!” “Oh. That’s okay.” “It’s not a problem, hyung. Enjoy your date.” Jaebum watched Jinyoung closely as his face changed from anxious to a mask of despair. Jinyoung sighed again as he gave Jaebum his phone back,”Mark hyung forgot and he’s on a date with Jackson on the other side of town now.”

 

Jaebum didn’t know what to say apart from “Oh.” Jinyoung -patient, kind Jinyoung- pushed back his hair and gave Jaebum a small smile,”Thanks anyway, hyung! Do you know where the nearest taxi stand is?”

 

Jaebum frowned. There weren’t any taxi stands near this side of the campus, and Jinyoung would definitely be late if he went to the taxi stand on the other side of the university to hail a taxi. Unless…

 

“Do you want me to give you a ride?” Jaebum blurted out before he could stop himself. “I mean, there aren’t any taxi stands around, and I have an extra helmet for my motorcycle, so I could probably drive you if you gave me the address.” Jaebum regretted his words once they tumbled out of his mouth. It was so weird for him to offer someone a ride like this, Jinyoung probably thought he was a serial killer, fuck-

 

“Really? Thanks so much, hyung! My student lives around Hongdae, can you take me there?” Jinyoung’s lips curved into a blinding smile, and Jaebum felt like his internal turmoil was worth it if the outcome made Jinyoung happy.

 

 _God, he was whipped._   

 

Jaebum and Jinyoung walked to Jaebum’s motorcycle, Jinyoung smiling and Jaebum staring at him like the lovesick idiot he was. Jaebum handed Jinyoung his spare helmet before strapping on his own, “You might want to hold on, it’s slippery today- oh.”

 

Jinyoung wrapped his arms around Jaebum’s waist, and Jaebum’s brain short-circuited.

 

Jinyoung peered at Jaebum curiously from behind him,”Hyung, are you okay?” Jaebum forced himself to focus on the road instead of thinking of how warm Jinyoung’s body felt pressed to his back,”Yeah, I’m fine.”

 

Jaebum drove them to Hongdae quickly, Jinyoung’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist and the younger man giving him directions occasionally. They pulled up at Jinyoung’s student’s house just two minutes before Jinyoung’s late, and Jinyoung beamed at him gratefully,”Thanks for the ride hyung! Get home safely!”

 

Jaebum only had time to mumble a quick “It’s okay” before Jinyoung took off the helmet and hurried into the house, waving to him with that smile that made his heart beat so fast.  

 

Jaebum waved at Jinyoung’s receding silhouette dumbly, already missing the warmth of Jinyoung’s arms. Since when had he became such a sentimental fool?

 

\----

 

After the Motorcycle Incident, Jaebum felt that his infatuation with Jinyoung had gone too far. They were friends, and that was probably how their relationship was going to stay forever. What would perfect, classy Jinyoung ever see in him? Jaebum did not even dare to foster his presumably ill-fated crush for fear that it would ruin their friendship.

 

Jaebum was Jinyoung’s hyung, and Jinyoung was his dongsaeng. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Jaebum started to minimise his interactions with Jinyoung. Apart from their shared psychology classes, Jaebum tried to stay away from Jinyoung in fear that his stupid crush would weird Jinyoung out. He told Jinyoung he was too busy to work on their project after class, stopped texting Jinyoung photos of his cat, and even asked Jinyoung to stop bringing him coffee in the morning.

 

“I feel bad for using so much of your allowance, Jinyoung-ah.” He told Jinyoung one day, without missing the crestfallen expression that appeared on Jinyoung’s face. The expression disappeared as quickly as it came, and Jaebum’s heart ached as Jinyoung smiled at him, ever so softly, and told him that “It’s okay, hyung.”

 

The next day Jinyoung brought him his favourite strawberry milk. “How did you know I liked strawberry milk?” Jaebum asked, suddenly aware of Jinyoung’s piercing gaze on him. Jinyoung smiled, but his eyes didn’t crinkle like they used to do,”Jackson-hyung told me.” Jaebum felt funny hearing Jinyoung call someone else hyung -was that jealousy?- but only nodded, thanking Jinyoung.

 

Jaebum dreamt of Jinyoung again that night. He dreamt of the sadness in Jinyoung’s eyes and how much he wanted to wrap Jinyoung in his arms and reassure him that everything was okay. _Stop it,_ he reminded himself grimly. Jinyoung was not, and would never be his. Jinyoung deserved the best.

 

No matter how hard Jaebum tried to convince himself, he still found himself attracted to Jinyoung. When Jinyoung turned away, Jaebum would found his own gaze lingering on Jinyoung’s back, thinking of Jinyoung’s whiskery smile and gentle voice.

 

His friends had also noticed how moody he had became after he stopped interacting as much with Jinyoung.”Hyung, what’s up with you lately?” Youngjae, ever the observant one, asked Jaebum at lunch as he stabbed his pork cutlet with a little too much force. “You seem a bit moody.”

 

“I’m fine.” Jaebum shoved the pork pieces in his mouth quickly, trying not to show how frustrated he really was. “Just feeling a bit tired.” ( _of being alive_ , he thought to himself)

 

His friends looked sceptical. Bambam eyed Jackson before opening his mouth to say something utterly ridiculous probably, but Jaebum could no longer focus on his friends.

 

The one and only Park Jinyoung had walked into the cafeteria and he wasn’t alone.

 

Jinyoung looked great as usual, with his hair styled neatly and dressed in a flannel shirt. He was holding a cup of coffee, and his other arm was wrapped around Yoo Kihyun’s shoulders.

 

Yoo Kihyun was the so called “Golden Boy” of the music department. He was a pretty decent composer, and his voice was undoubtedly one of the best in the whole department. Professors and students alike loved his honey-like voice, which could deliver powerful ballads perfectly and charm the pants off everyone, evident by the huge turnouts that his infamous busking sessions got. His talent was known by the whole department, and even Jaebum had to grudgingly admit that Yoo Kihyun’s voice could carry emotional belts, unlike his own. To take the fucking cake, Yoo Kihyun was really handsome. He wasn’t tall, but he had gorgeous almond-shaped eyes and pretty lips. (not that he was Jaebum’s type, but Jaebum knew how to appreciate a beautiful man when he saw one) Ever since he dyed his hair a bright cotton-candy pink, his fangirls flocked to the music department on a daily basis.

 

Jaebum watched from afar as Jinyoung and Kihyun sat down at a table nearby, Jinyoung ruffling Kihyun’s pink hair affectionately and laughing as they chatted. Jaebum felt his heart sink.  He promised himself to let go of his slight obsession with Jinyoung, but he felt so… uncomfortable at the sight of Jinyoung and his maybe-boyfriend acting all lovey-dovey in front of him. It didn’t help that it was Yoo Kihyun, the Golden Boy, who seemed to have everything he didn’t.

 

Jaebum buried his head in his hands, lamenting about his sad and non-existent love life.

 

\----

 

Jaebum had returned to the music department speedily after lunch, not wanting to face his friends and their concerned questions. _Hyung, what happened?_ _Hyung, are you okay? Are you sick?_ Even Mark, who had dropped by their table to talk to Jackson, shot him a sympathetic glance. Utterly pathetic, that’s what he was.

 

Jaebum closed the door to his tiny studio once he arrived, aiming to lose himself in his music. He was working on a new track titled Skyway, and it was going pretty well so far. With some luck, he could finish up early and go home to cry about Jinyoung and his new boyfriend. Great!

 

Jaebum had just switched on his trusty laptop when he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door quickly, expecting it to be a new tech assistant asking if everything was alright or some lost freshman asking for directions. Who he did not expect it to be was Park Jinyoung.

 

Jinyoung stood outside his studio, holding two bottles of strawberry milk. “Can I come in?” Jinyoung smiled at him hesitantly as Jaebum opened the door wider for Jinyoung to enter. “Thanks.” Jinyoung said to Jaebum, who had yet said a word.

 

Jaebum felt like an asshole for not talking to Jinyoung, but he was so, so afraid that if he opened his mouth his feelings for Jinyoung would spill out like an uncontrollable tsunami of feelings. Instead, he settled for pulling out a chair for Jinyoung to sit as he tried not to think about how gorgeous Jinyoung looked.

 

Jinyoung passed him a cup of strawberry milk,”I bought this for you, I want to talk about our thesis.” Jaebum nodded soundlessly, wrapping his hands around the bottle and relishing in the cool sensation it brought to his hands.

 

Jinyoung told him about how he thought they should shorten their thesis since their professor was old and hated to read lengthy statements. Jaebum nodded as Jinyoung spoke, not really paying attention to what Jinyoung was saying. It didn’t matter anyway, since Jinyoung had Kihyun.

 

“And I’m moving to the US to be a stripper next week.” Jinyoung said, eyes fixed on Jaebum. Jaebum flinched, because- what? Jinyoung smirked at Jaebum’s shocked face,”I knew you weren’t listening to me, hyung.”

 

Jaebum muttered his apologies under his breath, embarrassed to be exposed by Jinyoung. Jinyoung’s smirking face changed to one of motherly concern,”Hyung, are you okay?” _No, I’m not okay because I like you so much,_ Jaebum thought.

 

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” Jinyoung pressed, and Jaebum fixed his gaze on Jinyoung’s strawberry milk stubbornly, refusing to meet Jinyoung’s gaze.

 

Jinyoung slumped backwards on his chair,”It’s the strawberry milk again, isn’t it? I told you before, hyung, I don’t mind bringing you drinks. And if you really don’t like it, I could just bring it next door-”

 

Wait. _Next door?_

 

Jaebum didn’t even realise he voiced his thoughts out loud until Jinyoung looked at him oddly,”Yeah, next door. My cousin Kihyun studies music too.”

 

“Kihyun’s your cousin?” Jaebum spluttered. So Jinyoung and Kihyun weren’t boyfriends but…

 

“Yes, cousins.”Jinyoung sighed in an exasperated manner, like he was explaining something to a small child. “Our mothers are sisters.”

 

“Oh.” For some reason, Jaebum felt like a huge burden had been taken off his shoulders.

 

“Now that we’re done digging into my family history, can we talk about the thesis, please?” Jinyoung teased, and Jaebum found himself laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

 

Amazing how Park Jinyoung could make or ruin his day, simple as that.

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent in Jaebum’s studio, the two of them working on their project and chatting about everything and nothing at all. Jaebum hadn’t even realised how much he missed Jinyoung’s musical laugh and quirky remarks, and it seemed like a matter of minutes until Jinyoung announced that he had to go.

 

“Let’s talk about this tomorrow, hyung.” Jinyoung’s eyes curved into shy crescents, and Jaebum felt no remorse as he switched off his laptop after making no progress on skyway at all.

 

Work could wait, he decided.

 

\----

 

Jaebum had given up on trying to suppress his colossal crush on Park Jinyoung at this point. After all, how could anyone not love Jinyoung with his soft voice, whiskery smile and adorable sweater paws? Jaebum frequently felt the need to coo at Jinyoung like he did at his cat Nora whenever he did something cute.

 

He was basically just going soft at this point.

 

Jaebum’s non-existent self-control when it comes to Jinyoung further crumples when Jackson invites Jinyoung and Mark to a barbecue gathering with him and his friends.

 

“It’s just something casual.” Jackson had said. “No need to sweat about anything!”

 

At the restaurant, squished tightly between Yugyeom and Jinyoung, Jaebum begged to differ. The u-shaped booth was way too small for seven people, and Yugyeom’s elbow digged into his side, while he was basically sitting on Jinyoung’s thigh.

 

If Jinyoung felt uncomfortable with Jaebum’s invasion of his personal space, he didn’t show it. Jinyoung leaned towards him to speak over the Bambam and Yugyeom’s loud arguing over which beef set to order, and Jaebum could practically feel his hot breath on his nose,”They’re really loud, huh?”

 

Jaebum laughed and kicked Bambam’s long legs under the table for him to shut up,”Yeah, they’re always like this when we go outside.”

 

Jinyoung’s eyes curved into those beautiful crescent moons again,”You sound like a dad when you say that.”

 

Jaebum flushed,”I don’t! And they’re not bad kids, just annoying kids!”

 

Jinyoung giggled, and all was right in the world.

 

The beef arrived, and as Jinyoung passed around the side dishes, Jaebum marvelled at how seamlessly Mark and Jinyoung blended into their friend group. Mark’s hands were tangled with Jackson as Jackson whispered something to him, and their contented smiles made Jaebum glad. (but also slightly jealous)

 

Jinyoung was wiping off the barbeque sauce off Youngjae’s chin, and Jaebum was happy to see him doting on Youngjae like the rest of them did. Youngjae whispered something in Jinyoung’s ear, and Jinyoung laughed, turning to look at Jaebum.

 

The air suddenly became stifling until Jinyoung leaned in and said,”Youngjae is so cute, don’t you think so?”

 

Jaebum nodded quickly and scooted away from Jinyoung as far as he could (which wasn’t very far in the tiny booth), and tried to ignore the spreading heat on his neck.

 

The seven of them demolished the meat in record time, and soon Bambam suggested ordering some beer. Jaebum declined, since he needed to drive back home and he was the designated responsible friend.

 

Six cans of beer arrived at their table, with a can of coke for Jaebum. Jinyoung grinned at him with blushing cheeks behind his can, and Jaebum wished he had brought his camera to capture this alluring sight.

 

Everyone got tipsy after a few drinks, and Jaebum watched from the side as Youngjae fell asleep on Jinyoung’s lap. Yugyeom and Bambam clinged onto each other, while Jackson raised his hand, intertwined with Mark’s, and announced to the whole restaurant that they were dating. Jinyoung held his alcohol well, and only smirked at their idiot friends with red ears.

 

Jaebum looked at the clock- it was nearing 12. He was calling a waitress over to pick up the tab when Bambam whined,”What’s your ideal type, Gyeommie?”

 

Jaebum didn’t pay much attention to Yugyeom and Bambam’s tipsy mumbling until Bambam asked Jinyoung,”Jinyoungie-hyung… What’s your ideal type?”

 

Jaebum snapped to attention, staring at Jinyoung’s red face. Jinyoung’s cheeks were flushed scarlet as he sipped from his beer thoughtfully.

 

”Hmm… Thoughtful. Mature. Kind. Nice shoulders, I like shoulders.” Jinyoung turned to Jaebum, looking him in the eyes fully, and Jaebum suddenly found it difficult to swallow. Jinyoung’s eyes drooped shut, and Jaebum barely managed to catch his head before it hit his lap.

 

“Come on guys, let’s move out.” Jaebum made one last attempt to usher everyone out of the booth, dragging his half-unconscious friends outside.

 

When Bambam passed by his side, he patted the younger boy gently on the back, seeing his green face. Remind Jaebum not to let his friends near alcohol again.

 

Bambam’s eyes suddenly widened, and he slurred with a drowsy smile on his face,”Congrats on the great catch, hyung, Jinyoungie-hyung.”

 

Jaebum was slow to interpret what Bambam meant, but Jinyoung was sharp as ever, even when drunk.  ”We’re not dating, Bammie.”Jinyoung told the younger, and Jaebum came to a conclusion belatedly.

 

_Oh. That’s what Bambam meant._

 

Jaebum tried to ignore how quickly Jinyoung denied that they were dating and focused on getting his friends into taxis outside the restaurant. It wasn’t a big deal anyway, right?

 

\----

 

The day of Jaebum and Jinyoung’s final presentation finally came, and Jaebum would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous. After all, he and Jinyoung had spent so much time and effort on it, but they still weren’t sure what htey had came up with was what the professor was looking for.

 

Jaebum tried to ignore the doubting voices in his head and went into the classroom, where Jinyoung was waiting.

 

“Hey, hyung.” Jinyoung smiled at Jaebum and handed him a bottle of his usual strawberry milk, but Jaebum didn’t miss the worried look in his eyes.

 

“Do you want to go over the script again?” Jaebum suggested, trying to ease Jinyoung’s anxiety.

 

Jinyoung nodded, grateful for Jaebum’s offer, and the two began to go over their presentation script. Jaebum sipped on the strawberry milk as Jinyoung explained the concept behind their experiment clearly and concisely.

 

“You were good.” Jaebum told Jinyoung, and Jaebum felt his heart swell with pride when Jinyoung beamed at him. “Hyung-” Jinyoung started to say something, but then the professor came in the classroom and called for attention.

 

 _What were you saying?_ Jaebum mouthed at Jinyoung, but Jinyoung just shook his head and mouthed back _never mind_.

 

Strange.

 

The professor started to ask students to go up and present. Jaebum observed as the other students presented fairly adequate experiments only to get shot down by the professor.

 

Jaebum and Jinyoung exchanged a look as the professor fired a series of tricky questions at the students presenting before failing them and calling their experiment an utter disaster.

 

Jinyoung leaned in and whispered into Jaebum’s ear, ”We are so fucked.”

 

Jaebum could not agree more, and his anxiety levels only further rose when the professor called practically every student in the class except Jinyoung and Jaebum.

 

_Did the professor even remember them?_

 

It seemed like an eternity had passed before the professor pushed up his glasses and called,”Im Jaebum, Park Jinyoung.”

 

Jaebum and Jinyoung made their way to the front nervously as the professor watched tem with a hawk-like stare.

 

Jaebum opened their powerpoint presentation in record speed and exchanged a look with Jinyoung. Jinyoung looked every bit as nervous as him, but he had his signature smile on his face, and Jaebum suddenly felt boosted with energy as he started to describe their experiment. The professor stared at them with an unfaltering gaze, but Jaebum went on to talk about how they carried out the experiment and got their desired results, just as they had rehearsed.

 

Jinyoung gave Jaebum a small thumbs up when he was done, and Jaebum marvelled as Jinyoung explained their concept confidently. The rest of their presentation went smoothly without a hitch, and Jaebum felt so proud of themselves as Jinyoung wrapped up the presentation.

 

“This was our experiment, Come and Get It!. Thank you for listening!” They bowed to the class together and received a hearty round of applause from their classmates.

 

Jaebum and Jinyoung looked expectantly at the professor, waiting for him to throw out some obscure question.  However, the professor just kept writing comments on their mark sheet, without sparing anyone a glance.

 

Jaebum’s heart raced madly as the professor stood up abruptly, his chair scraping noisily in the silent classroom.

 

 _They fucked up._ Jaebum’s brain screamed as he tried to maintain his composure. Next to him, Jinyoung seemed slightly calmer, but Jaebum could see his trembling pupils as they waited for their fate. Jaebum caught Jinyoung’s eye and mouthed _It’s okay_. At least they were facing death together.

 

The professor turned to them, and Jaebum’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the professor’s smile. The professor smiled kindly at them,”Im Jaebum and Park Jinyoung- that was the best presentation I’ve seen in many years.”

 

_What??????_

 

Jinyoung let out an audible gasp as Jaebum’s brain shifted into overdrive.

 

The professor continued,”An intriguing thesis with clear steps, and showing good teamwork. It was all I could have possibly asked for. So perfect that I didn’t even have to ask any questions!”

 

Jaebum felt like a heavy weight had been shifted off his shoulders as the professor announced that they had topped the class with straight As. He turned to Jinyoung, who was wearing the most dazzling grin Jaebum had ever seen, and he felt so overwhelmed with relief.

 

“We did it, hyung!” Jinyoung said as they made their way outside. Jaebum held out his hand for a high five, but Jinyoung swept him into a hug instead.

 

Jaebum felt his brain melt as he felt Jinyoung’s warm body press onto his, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around the other boy.

 

Nothing in the world had ever felt so right.

 

\----

 

After the project ended, the psychology class was put on pause as well. The old professor was going to America for an exchange programme, and wouldn’t be back until the next semester. “He’s probably preparing for retirement.” Jinyoung joked as they saw the notice outside the classroom. Jaebum laughed, but he felt sad at the thought of not seeing Jinyoung every morning. He even had a feeling that, perhaps, they wouldn’t even see each other around campus much.

 

Sadly, Jaebum’s feeling was right. Without the psychology course, he didn’t have many chances to see Jinyoung. Sure, Jinyoung ate lunch with Jaebum and his friends frequently, but he never stayed long, only sitting at their table to munch down a sandwich before heading to his next class.

 

“I’m taking this world literature course.”Jinyoung told them between bites. “It’s a lot of fun, but the workload is no joke. I need sleep.” Jinyoung’s tiredness had also started to show on his face. Jinyoung was still gorgeous, because of course, but dark circles loomed under his sparkling eyes and his smiles didn’t go all the way to his eyes like they used to.

 

It hurt Jaebum to see Jinyoung suffering like this. Jinyoung was obviously overworked and exhausted, and if Jinyoung wouldn’t do something about himself, Jaebum would.

 

The next time Jinyoung stopped by their table at lunch, Jaebum handed him a bottle of oolong tea, a slightly healthier alternative to coffee. Jinyoung seemed pleasantly surprised,”For me?” Jaebum nodded, and Jinyoung smiled,”Thanks hyung.”

Jinyoung took a sip of the tea, and Jaebum swallowed before saying,”You need to stop overworking yourself, Jinyoung.”

 

Jinyoung widened his eyes,”I’m not!”

 

Jaebum frowned,”Well then, you look too tired for someone with a normal workload.” Jinyoung opened his mouth to retort, but Jaebum beat him to it.

 

”I’ll stop sending you pictures of Nora if you don’t get rest.”

 

Jinyoung let out a confused laugh, his signature eye-whisker smile blooming on his face, and Jaebum had never felt so in love with anyone.

 

“Okay hyung.” Jinyoung got ready to leave, but Jaebum stood up and stopped him in his tracks.

 

Jinyoung looked at him quizzically, and Jaebum suddenly felt awkward, “Just look after yourself, okay?”

 

Jinyoung’s eyes curved into those lovely crescent moons,”Of course, hyung.”

 

Jinyoung then left quickly, not wanting to be late for class. Jaebum sat back down turned back to his other friends, finally satisfied, only to be met with five identical smirks.

 

“What?” Jaebum stuffed his mouth full of pasta, noticing the knowing glints in everyone’s eyes.

 

“Hyung, you’re so obvious.” Bambam laughed, and Jaebum felt like choking on his pasta.

 

“Am not!” Jaebum sniffed indignantly.

 

Youngjae tried to hide his giggles behind his hand,”Hyung, just ask Jinyoungie hyung out.”

 

“Yeah,” Mark said with Jackson’s arm wrapped securely around his waist. “It will be good for the both of you.”

 

\----

 

After he got home, Jaebum thought about what his friends had said. It didn’t seem to be that much of a bad idea actually.   

 

Jaebum still saw Jinyoung around, thanks to their group lunches, but they didn’t have the opportunity to talk to Jinyoung like they used to. They had barely exchanged greetings in the past few weeks, and their conversation today was the most they had spoken to each other in a long time.

 

Jaebum missed talking to Jinyoung, and he hoped Jinyoung shared the sentiment.

 

Taking out his phone, he stared at Jinyoung’s contact. Would it be weird if he asked Jinyoung to get dinner with him? Would he seem too desperate and scare Jinyoung away?

 

 _Ping!_ The text notification went off on Jaebum’s phone. It was a message from Jinyoung.

 

_Hey hyung do you wanna go get dinner this week? My literature mock exam’s over tomorrow and I finally have some free time_

 

 _Ping! Ping!_ Two more messages from Jinyoung.

 

_I really miss talking to you hyung_

 

_It’s okay if you can’t make it though_

 

Jaebum grinned down at his phone. His heart was beating too fast for his liking, and he probably looked like a 12 year-old teenage girl whose crush had noticed her, but Jaebum couldn’t care less.  


Jaebum typed up a quick reply to Jinyoung.

 

_Sure! When do you wanna go out?_

 

Jinyoung replied back quickly, and soon they had decided on having dinner at this restaurant Jinyoung liked downtown the next day. Jaebum’s face hurt from smiling too much, and he couldn’t be happier that he was talking to Jinyoung again.

 

\----

 

The next day, Jaebum was nervous. It was like that time he thought he was going on a blind date with Jinyoung, but this time, he was going out with the real Jinyoung.

 

Jaebum decided to dress casually, since it was just a dinner between friends. Platonic friends. Bros.

 

Jaebum’s pathetic crush on Jinyoung was still there, seeing how his insides melted into goo whenever he saw him, but Jaebum was determined not to let his annoying gay feelings get between their friendship. They would just stay friends, and that was enough.

 

_Or was it?_

 

Jaebum cursed at himself at he slipped on scruffy sneakers quickly.

 

_Of course it was enough._

 

Jinyoung was the sun, and mere mortals like Jaebum could only gasp in awe of his beauty. If he got too close, he would get burned.

 

Jaebum frowned and willed himself to stop mooning over Jinyoung as he made his way to the restaurant. He didn’t have time to fall in love for someone so out of his league and get his heart broken.

 

The trip to the restaurant was pretty uneventful, except he discovered that Jinyoung’s restaurant was close to the one he went to with Mark before. He smiled bitterly in spite of the whole situation.

 

_If only it was Jinyoung he had went on the blind date with._

 

Jaebum willed himself to shut up one last time before arriving at the restaurant- a chic, laid-back fusion restaurant which served both Western and Japanese style food. It was decorated nicely, with large windows, comfortable-looking sofa seats, and plants everywhere, which gave the place a fresh feel.

 

Jaebum spied Jinyoung sitting at one of the sofa seats, looking like he had just walked out of a magazine photoshoot. Dressed casually in an oversized cardigan and white slacks, he looked like a fairytale prince as always.

 

Jinyoung looked up from the menu he was looking at and smiled softly at Jaebum when he approached, ”Hyung, you’re here.”

 

“Hey.” Jaebum breathed, still in awe of Jinyoung’s beauty. Jinyoung’s face was glowing even in the dim lighting of the restaurant, and Jaebum felt like he was drowning.

 

Jinyoung laughed a little, his beautiful eyes crinkling, and everything was right in the world.

 

They slipped into easy conversation after that, and as they ordered food and asked about each other’s lives, Jaebum discovered how much he had missed Jinyoung’s presence. Jinyoung and Jaebum could understand each other without a single word being said, and although Jaebum wasn’t a particularly talkative person, words seemed to flow naturally. There weren’t any awkward silences with Jinyoung, and Jaebum felt entirely comfortable even when they weren’t speaking.

 

It wasn’t like he couldn’t communicate well with his other friends, but Jinyoung… Jinyoung was different.

 

Jaebum had to stop himself from getting too deep by focusing on the food in front of him. The food looked and tasted great, and it wasn’t long before their plates were clean. Jinyoung patted his tummy -looking far too cute for a 23 year-old man- and grinned at Jaebum,”Let’s go for a walk, hyung.” Jaebum readily agreed, eyeing the stunning night view of bustling passer-bys and brightly lit shops outside.

 

Jaebum picked up the tab, to which Jinyoung whined,”Hyung, at least let me pay for my share.”

 

Jaebum answered without thinking,”It’s okay. Just let me take care of you,” It wasn’t until Jinyoung started blushing when Jaebum realised how… weird he sounded.

 

Jaebum backtracked hastily,”Uh, I mean, you’ve gotten strawberry milk so many times, so it’s only fair if I pay for you, right?” Jinyoung’s blush faded a little, but he nodded, still looking thoughtful.

 

Jaebum only felt slightly guilty about pinching Jinyoung’s pink cheeks and laughing at his adorable reaction.

 

They walked outside in comfortable silence, Jaebum leading the way as they strolled along the busy streets. Jaebum found it endearing how Jinyoung found everything around him fascinating, and the way his eyes lit up when he saw something he liked was the cutest.

 

They wandered around for a bit, chatting aimlessly, until they ended up at that flower shop where Jaebum got daisies for Mark on their blind date. Jinyoung gasped in awe at the colourful flower displays outside the shop, and headed inside without a second thought.

 

Jaebum had no choice but to follow. The employees wouldn’t recognize him after such a long time, right?

 

Fate pulled a cruel trick on him as a familiar voice called his name as soon as he stepped foot in the flower shop,”Hey, Jinyoung, Jaebum”

 

Jaebum did not expect to see Hyunwoo from psychology with the flower shop employee. Hyunwoo smiled at Jaebum and Jinyoung brightly, but Jaebum could only muster a weak grin.

 

“Looking for flowers?” The smiley florist - _what was his name again? Minseok?_ \- next to Hyunwoo asked them, and Hyunwoo introduced the florist, Minhyuk - _ah, that was his name_ -, his boyfriend.

 

Minhyuk grinned at Jaebum with a knowing glint as Jinyoung took a look at the houseplants,”The date went well, huh?”

 

Jaebum panicked. _Jinyoung was still within earshot, for God’s sake!_

 

Minhyuk continued, oblivious to Jaebum’s internal struggle,”I remember when you came here the first time. You looked so nervous and confused, it was so cute!”

 

Minhyuk looked over at Jinyoung, who had moved on to the roses section,”Your boyfriend’s cute too -not as cute as my Hyunwoo of course, but cute.”

 

Jaebum opened his mouth to reply, to say that 1) Hyunwoo was a pretty cool guy, but Jinyoung was definitely cuter than Hyunwoo, _thank you very much_ and 2) Jinyoung was, tragically, not his boyfriend, but Jinyoung had already walked over at the mention of his name.

 

“Sorry, but I’m afraid Jaebum-hyung and I need to leave, right now. Thanks for showing us around!” Jinyoung took Jaebum’s arm in a gentle but firm grip, and practically dragged him from the shop with an unreadable look on his face.

 

Jinyoung pulled Jaebum along until they reached an empty park bench, where he plonked Jaebum down. Jaebum was very confused- was Jinyoung mad at him for some reason?

 

Jaebum looked at Jinyoung quizzically, only to find the younger with his face buried in his hands. Jaebum edged closer to Jinyoung, patting him on the back softly,”What’s wrong, Jinyoung? You know you can always tell me what’s wrong, right?”

 

Jinyoung finally looked at Jaebum, eyes glistening,”Hyung, I have to tell you this even if it kills me-”

 

“Jinyoung, what’s going on? We can work it out, don’t stress-” Jaebum said, reaching out tentatively to Jinyoung’s trembling hands.

 

“Hyung, I’m in love with you.”

 

Time seemed to stop as Jaebum stared at Jinyoung blankly, because- what?

 

Jinyoung slumped down, looking defeated,”It’s okay if you don’t like me back, I just really needed to get that out. We can still be friends, right hyung?”

 

Jinyoung looked at Jaebum with an empty look in his eyes, but he never got Jaebum’s response, because Jaebum was already pulling him close.

 

“Hyung-” “I like you too, idiot.” Jaebum thought this was probably a dream, because there was no way Jinyoung could like him back, right?

 

Jinyoung looked up at him with shining eyes,”Really?”

 

Jinyoung looked so hopeful and innocent that Jaebum couldn’t help but laugh,”Yes, silly. I’ve liked you ever since the day we met.”

 

And it was true. Jaebum’s heart felt so full with affection it was about to burst. How could he ever deny himself the luxury of loving Park Jinyoung?

 

They stayed like that for a long time, arms wrapped around each other, talking until the passer-bys went home and the shops eventually closed for the day.

 

“You know, you were supposed to go on that blind date with me. But I told Mark to go in my place instead.”Jinyoung said, intertwining Jaebum’s fingers with his own.

 

“Oh really?”Jaebum raised his eyebrows, rubbing small circles on the soft skin of Jinyoung’s hands.

 

“I was so intimidated after I spilt coffee on you, I pulled out at the last minute.” Jinyoung pouted, and Jaebum wanted nothing more than to kiss his velvety, pink lips.

 

Jaebum hummed absentmindedly, Jinyoung’s warm body pressed against him sending electric shocks along his arm,”Well, Yugyeom was right when he said you were 200000% my type.”

 

Even under the dim streetlight, Jaebum could see Jinyoung blush. He laughed while Jinyoung smacked his chest lightly,”Why are you so gross and cheesy? I’m taking everything I’ve said in the past hour back.”

 

Jaebum felt so giddy, he swore he was about to see stars. He stood up, holding out a hand for Jinyoung to take,”Come on, I’ll walk you back.”

 

Jinyoung’s hand was soft and warm in Jaebum’s, and Jaebum felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as they made their way back slowly.

 

“Hyung?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Kiss me.”

 

Jaebum obliged, and Jinyoung’s lips tasted exactly how he imagined them to be - soft, gentle, and sweet like strawberry.

 

\----

 

_Two weeks later_

 

Jaebum asked Jinyoung to be his boyfriend after they kissed, and to his relief, Jinyoung had accepted. Jaebum still had trouble believing that he was dating Park Jinyoung -student, possible future model and literal angel- but Jinyoung’s soft hands clasping his own and his soft lips on Jaebum’s were the best reassurance.

 

“Hyung, I’ve liked you since I met you. You were so hot in that leather jacket I wanted to die when I spilt coffee on you-” Jinyoung rambled, and Jaebum silenced him with a kiss. “Angels can’t die, Jinyoungie.” Jaebum grinned at Jinyoung when they parted, and Jinyoung smacked him again, blushing madly.

 

Jinyoung and Jaebum tell their friends during lunch one day, and Jackson whoops so loud the whole cafeteria turns to stare at them. “Finally.” Youngjae mutters, and pulls Jinyoung into a hug before warning Jaebum not to hurt his “brother-in-law”.

 

Bambam and Yugyeom congratulate Jaebum on finally breaking his dry spell, and Jaebum can’t even find it in him to get mad until Bambam leans over to Jinyoung and stage-whispers,”So how is he in the bedroom?”

 

Jaebum lunges at him across the table, but Jinyoung only laughs, grabbing Jaebum’s hand and pulling him back down. Jinyoung smiles at Bambam and Yugyeom with an evil glint in his eyes, and Jaebum is suddenly terrified -and maybe a little turned on-”Judging from those marks, Bam, Yugyeom’s probably pretty good?”

 

Jackson goes wild at Jinyoung’s comment while Bambam and Yugyeom blush so hard they resemble tomatoes, and Jaebum thinks Jinyoung is hotter than ever.

 

Jinyoung teases Yugyeom mercilessly, tickling his ribs when he's looking the other way,  laughing in evil delight when Yugyeom flinches and pouts. Jaebum likes seeing this side of Jinyoung, carefree and downright adorable.

 

Jaebum also likes how Jinyoung kisses him gently on the corner of his lips- its chaste, but the feel of his cool lips on Jaebum’s warm skin is enough to make Jaebum’s heart skip a beat. Jaebum grabs Jinyoung’s hand before he can pull away, and Jinyoung blushes when Jaebum kisses the back of his hand quickly.

 

Bambam and Jackson squeal while Jinyoung ducks his head into Jaebum’s chest, and Jaebum can’t believe this is real.

 

 _Park Jinyoung in your lap? It’s more likely than you think._ His brain supplies unhelpfully, and Jaebum still really wants his Jinyoung-obsessed brain to shut up.

 

Mark smirks at Jaebum, with his arms wrapped around Jinyoung in front of him,”Hey Jaebum, remember when you saw that picture of Jinyoung on my phone and blushed for like half an hour?”

 

Jinyoung turns to look at Jaebum, and it’s Jaebum’s turn to get embarrassed. Bambam, Yugyeom, Mark, and Jackson laugh, and Youngjae pats Jaebum on the back sympathetically.

 

Jinyoung snuggles closer into Jaebum’s chest, his face close to Jaebum’s heart, so close that only Jaebum could hear what he was saying.

 

“Hyung?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I’m so glad we met that day, outside the library.”

 

Jaebum responds by kissing Jinyoung’s ruffled hair softly.

 

With his friends making a racket around him and the most beautiful boy in the whole universe in his arms, Jaebum thinks to himself,

 

_This. This is enough._

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading and i hope you liked it:)  
> let's talk on [tumblr](http://www.iwaoiyoonminphan.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/moonlikeurs/) and i might write??? more??? when i get hit by the jjfeelings


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